According to this article from the Mail Online, the children of working parents were banned from attending mid-term break field trips.

What disqualified these students from attending trips to Knowsley Safari Park, soccer sessions with the Manchester United Foundation, and a trip to an indoor ski resort? Well they were banned from the trip because their parents work. That’s right, their parents are not on the government dole. And even if the parents of these children were willing to pay for them to attend these activities, they were told that their children were restricted.

Margaret Woodhouse, from the Trafford Council’s children and young people’s service gave the following reasoning behind the decision, “It was a government requirement the money be used to support children from ‘economically disadvantaged’ families within the area. Trafford Council chose to follow guidance from the Training and Development Agency – responsible for allocating funding on the government’s behalf – and use free school meals as its criteria.”

In response to this the Department for Children, Schools and Families stated, “Our guidance is crystal clear that no child should be left out. Activities should be available to all children – with those who can afford it being able to pay and take part. The scheme should encourage those who can afford to pay to do so, while using the subsidy to make particular efforts to encourage the participation of those who are unable to pay. It is down to schools to use their professional judgments in deciding who is or is not eligible for a subsidy.”

And what does your Mandarin find offensive about this story – well, a number of things come to mind.

First, we have a scheme that is rewarding those who are not contributing to society. Your Mandarin has no issue with giving these children free lunches – it is not their fault that their parents are not working – but I do have an issue with taxpayers paying for vacation trips that your Mandarin (who does work and pay taxes) could not afford to go on.

Second, we have a bunch of progressives left to their own devices to, as quoted above, “…use their professional judgments…” The problem with this is that their professional judgment, in your Mandarin’s opinion, has no basis in the real world. It is obvious that these administrators were using their “judgment” to not only reward those who are disadvantaged, but to punish those who are doing well. Here is a prime example of a redistribution of wealth. When government becomes the arbiter of who can and cannot attend based on income level, or some other perceived victim status, this signals the end of individual freedom and choice.

The Mandarin

The Mandarin, whose real name is 吏恆, joined the order in 1309, and introduced the Gormogons into England during the 18th Century.

The Mandarin enjoys spending time with his pet manticore, Βάρἰκος, or Barry (who can be found in the Bestiary). When not in the Castle…well, frankly, nobody is quite sure where he goes.

The Mandarin popularized the fine art of “gut booting,” by which he delivers a powerful kick to the stomach of anyone that annoys him. Although nearly universal today, the act of gut booting or threatening someone or something with a gut boot is solely due to him.